Wind-wheel.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

C. R. CUTTING. WIND WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1905.

2 SHEE\TSSHEET l.

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No. 809,431. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

0. R. CUTTING.

WIND WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 25, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

auvau E01 17 attozneqg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

CHARLES R. CUTTING, OF RATON, TERRITORY OF NE'W MEXICO.

WIND-WHEEL.

Application filed April To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. CUTTING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raton, in the county of Colfax and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wind Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies novel improvements in windmills; and the essential feature of the invention resides in a special construction of horizontal wind-wheel.

The wind-wheel embodying the invention includes a plurality of blades which are supported by the usual wheel-shaft and which are operated by peculiar mechanism forming a part of this invention, so as to feather to' the wind as the wheel rotates about its vertical axis.

The invention further consists in the provision of special governor mechanism for throwing the several blades of the wheel out of the wind as required by conditions of service.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wind-wheel I embodying the invention, the lower portion of the mill-tower being broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, parts broken away, showing the operating arts of the governor mechanism more clearly. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the wheel, showing the arrangement of the wind-vane, the relative positions of the blades as the wheel rotates, the dotted lines, indicating the positions of the blades when the latter are thrown out of the wind by the governor mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation looking toward one set of blades of the wheel edgewise, dotted lines showing the relative movement of the blades as the same feather under the influence of the governor mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the upper portion of the mill-tower, and the numeral 2 the usual vertical shaft which carries the wind-wheel. Extending laterally from the shaft 2 and projecting from upper and lower collars 3 and 4 are a plurality of Specification of Letters Patent.

25,1905. Serial No. 257,325.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

horizontal arms 6 and 7, respectively. These arms 7 comprise rods preferably, the same being rigidly attached to the collars 3 and 4 in any suitable manner, said collars being likewise secured to the shaft 2. The arms 6 and 7 are preferably arranged in sets or pairs, tour pairs being preferably provided. Mounted in the outer ends of respective pairs of upper and lower arms 6 and 7, which ends are provided with suitable bearings 8 for this purpose, is a vertical frame 9, composed of spaced bars meeting near the upper and lower extremities, as shown at 10. Journals 11 project from the upper and lower extremities of each of the frames 9 and are mounted in the bearings 8 of the arms 6 and 7. Four of the frames 9 are utilized and each of the frames carries a plurality of blades 12, preferably two in number. The blades 12 are carried by horizontal shafts 13, which are mounted in suitable bearings formed by openings in the sides of the frame 9, thereby admitting of rotary movement of the blades 12 about a horizontal axis in order to permit feathering thereof to throw the same out of the wind when operated by the governor mechanism. Extending from each of the shafts 13 of the sets of blades 12, carried by each frame 9, are cranks 14. The cranks 14 of each set of blades 12 extend in opposite directions preferably and are connected by connections 15 with the outer extremity of a lever 16, one of which is pivoted to each of the upper arms 6. The levers 16 are pivoted at a point between the ends thereof, as shown at 17, to extensions 18, projecting upwardly from the arms 6, the outer extremities of the said levers 16 having connection with the cranks 14 of the set of blades 12, supported by the frame 9, journaled in the adjacent arm 6. The inner extremities of the several levers 16 are attached to a collar 19, which is vertically movable upon the shaft 2 above the collar 3, from which the arms 6 project. The collar 19 surrounds the shaft 2, and a pin 20, carried by said collar, passes through a vertical slot 21 in the shaft, said pin being connected by a rod 22 with the arms 23 of the governor-levers 24. The governor-levers 24 iorm a part of the governor mechanism for throwing the blades 12 out of the Wind, said levers 24 being pivoted to a bracket 25, attached to the shaft 2 in any suitable manner.

The levers 24 are weighted by balls 26 in the customary way, so that upon accelerated speed of the wheel the levers 24 will move apart by centrifugal action, causing the arms 23 of said levers to move downwardly, pulling the rod or connection 22 in the same direction. When the rod 22 is forced downwardly, the collar 19 is also forced in the same direction, imparting pivotal movement to the levers 16, elevating the latter at their outer extremities. The above movement of the levers 16 will actuate the connections and the cranks 14 will be raised, imparting rotary movement to the blades 12 about horizontal axes, throwing the latter out of the wind in a manner which will be readily apparent. The crank-arms of each 14 set of blades 12 being projected in opposite directions is of great advantage in that the blades or fans will move in opposite directions in feathering of the wind, so that the downward and upward pressure of the wind thereagainst will be equalized and not produce strain either upwardly or downwardly upon the mountings of the wheel which carry said blades.

Suitable truss-rods 27 may be employed to brace the arms 6.

As before mentioned, it is designed to use specially-devised mechanism for actuating the various sets of blades 12, carried by eachof the frames 9, so that said blades will be caused to assume positions broadside to the wind at a certain point in the rotation of the wheel, but when moving against the wind will have been adjusted so as to feather or be presented edgewise thereto, so as not to impede or retard the rotary movement of the wheel under the influence of the pressure of the wind against certain sets of blades which may be disposed broadside thereto.

Fig. 3 illustrates the action above expressed, and it will be seen that one set of blades 12 when broadside to the wind receives the full impact thereof when actuating the wheel, the other sets of blades being shown in the positions assumed thereby as they gradually adjust themselves to feather in turning around the vertical axis constituted by the shaft 2. The mechanism for causing the sets of blades to feather as the wheel turns around, which mechanism is entirely independent of the governor mechanism infiuencing the blade 12 to cause the latter to individually feather about the horizontal axes formed by the shafts 13, is comprised of a bevel-gear 28, mounted upon the shaft 2 just beneath the collar 4, which has been before described. The bevel-gear 28 is formed with a tubular extension 29, receiving the shaft 2, the extension 29 being readily connected with a laterally-extending arm carrying a wind-vane 30. The arm which carries the vane 30 has its inner end bifurcated, as shown at 31, the bifurcated portions being secured to the extension 29 of the gear 28. A tube or pipe 32 surrounds the shaft 2 at the upper portion of the tower 1, and

the gear 28 and its extension 29 are supported upon ball-bearings 33, so as to be freely rotatable as the same are adjusted under the influence of the vane 30. The arms 7, projecting from the collar 4 of the shaft 2, have hollow shafts 34 mounted thereon, said shafts 34 being provided at opposite ends with bevel-pinions 35 and 36 of different gear diameters. The pinions 35 are in mesh with the gear 28 aforesaid, whereas the pinions 36 are in mesh with bevel-gears 37, keyed or otherwise secured to the lower journals 11 of the arms 9. It will thus be seen that the wind-vane 30 under normal conditions will hold the gear 28 in a position determined by the direction from which the wind is blowing. The connections between the gear 28 and the frames 9, carrying the blades 12, are such that one of the sets of blades 12 will always be held broadside of the wind when the wheel adjusts itself, this being done automatically in an obvious manner. The vane 30 having adjusted itself so as to present a set of blades 12 broadside to the wind, the gear 28 will be held in this position so long as the wind continues to blow from this direction. As the wheel is revolved, however, by the wind as it strikes the sets of blades 12, it will be noted that the arms 7, carrying the shafts 34 around the gear 28, will cause said shaft to be revolved because of the intermeshing relation of the pinion 35 with said gear. When the shafts 34 are revolved in the manner above described, the pinions 36 will turn the gears 37, so that in the revolution of the wheel the frames 9 will be gradually revolved,

causing the sets of blades 12 to feather as they are carried around. It is necessary that the sets of blades 12 in feathering as the wheel is rotated shall make exactly a halfrevolution about a vertical axis to one revolution of the wheel turning upon the shaft 2. It is contemplated within the broad spirit of the invention to use any suitable means for varying the positions of the blades 12 during the rotative continuity of the wheel-shaft 2, so as to cause said blades to feather about the vertical axes thereof to secure theimportant advantage arising from such an action as premised upon hereinbefore.

In order that the blades 12 may be thrown out of the wind by hand-operated means, a lever 40 is pivotally mounted upon the upper portion of the tower and is connected with a collar 41, loosely mounted on the shaft 2 a short distance below the part 32. The collar 41 is adapted to bear against rollers 42,which are carried by the end portions of a pin 43, projecting transversely through the shaft 2 just below the collar 41 aforesaid. The pin 43 is secured to a connection 44, arranged within the shaft 2 and connecting said pin with the pin 20, connected with the collar 19. A hand line or rope 45 is secured to one end of the lever 40, and when the operator pulls upon said rope the lever 40 is forced downwardly and the collar 41 is caused to engage with the rollers 42 and force the pin 43 downwardly also. The pin 43 passes through slots in the shaft 2, so as to be vertically movable, and when said pin is forced downwardly the connection 44 is pulled upon, the collar 19 is actuated, and the levers 16 are moved so as to throw the several blades 12 out of the wind, the latter of course rotating about their horizontal axes.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is 1. In a wind-wheel, the combination of a wheel-shaft, sets of blades rotatable with said shaft, the blades of each set being movable about horizontal axes, means for feathering the blades, and means for causing the blades of each set to move in opposite directions in feathering about the horizontal axes thereof.

2. In a wind-wheel, the combination of a wheel-shaft, sets of blades rotatable with said shaft, each set of blades being movable about a vertical axis, means for causing each set of blades to make a half-revolution about its vertical axis one revolution of. the wheel, the blades of each set of blades being movable about horizontal axes also, a governor for feathering the blades about their horizontal axes, said governor embodying governorlevers, and independent connections between the governor-levers and the blades of each set aforesaid whereby said blades of each set are caused to move in opposite directions in feathering about the horizontal axes thereof.

3. In a wind-wheel, the'cornbination of a wheel-shaft, a plurality of arms projected from said shaft, vertical frames supported by said arms, blades movable about horizontal axes and carried by the frames aforesaid, and a governor connected with said blades so as to cause the same to move in opposite directions in throwing the latter out of the wind.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. CUTTING. 

